Shadow Slave: Intertwined fate

Moonlit strode toward the academy training grounds, his steps measured and deliberate. His mind buzzed with anticipation. Today wasn't just another day—it was an opportunity to test his theories and learn more about the world he now inhabited.

He smirked slightly, his confidence bolstered by his knowledge of Shadow Slave. As a reader of the original story, he already knew the sequence of events that would unfold. Sunny wouldn't be here—he'd chosen wilderness survival training instead. It was a smart move, one Moonlit couldn't help but admire.

"Of course he's not here," Moonlit muttered under his breath, feigning nonchalance as if he had predicted it all along. "Sunny's no fool. Survival skills are crucial in this world."

In truth, Moonlit envied Sunny's decision. Wilderness survival wasn't just practical—it was essential for navigating the Dream Realm's treacherous landscapes. While others focused on brute strength or flashy abilities, Sunny had chosen to prepare for the harsh realities of life as an Awakened.

Still, Moonlit couldn't dwell on that now. He had his own path to carve. The training grounds were alive with activity when Moonlit arrived. Groups of new recruits sparred under the watchful eyes of instructors, while others practiced their abilities on stationary dummies or obstacle courses. The air buzzed with tension and energy, a palpable mix of fear and determination.

Moonlit scanned the crowd and felt a flicker of satisfaction when he spotted Nephis in one of the groups. She stood apart from the others, her presence commanding attention even without effort. Her silver hair glinted in the sunlight as she listened intently to an instructor's directions.

"Well, isn't this convenient?" Moonlit thought to himself, suppressing a grin. Being assigned to Nephis's group wasn't just coincidence—it was fate aligning itself with his knowledge of the story. Or at least, that's what he told himself.

As he approached the group, an instructor with a scarred face and a no-nonsense demeanor barked out orders.

"You!" the instructor called out, pointing at Moonlit as soon as he joined them. "What've you got?"

Moonlit hesitated for a moment before stepping forward confidently. He didn't want to reveal too much about Rulebreaker—not yet—but he also couldn't afford to look weak.

"I've got enough," he said simply, keeping his tone calm but firm.

The instructor raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Instead, he gestured toward one of the practice dummies nearby. "Show me."

Moonlit approached the dummy slowly, gripping one of the practice spears from a nearby rack. He took a deep breath and focused on his Aspect, visualizing how he could bend inertia to give his strike an unnatural burst of speed.

He thrust forward—and the spear shot toward the dummy like a bullet, slamming into it with enough force to crack its wooden frame.

The recruits around him murmured in surprise, but Moonlit barely noticed them. His heart pounded as he pulled back the spear and stepped away from the dummy.

The instructor nodded curtly before turning to another recruit—a tall girl with short-cropped hair who radiated confidence—and gestured for her to step forward.

"You," he said simply. "Spar with him."

The girl smirked as she picked up her own weapon—a curved blade that gleamed ominously in the sunlight—and stepped into position opposite Moonlit.

"Let's see what you're made of," she said, her tone dripping with arrogance. The sparring match began without ceremony. The girl moved first, darting toward Moonlit with surprising speed. Her blade flashed through the air in an arc aimed directly at his chest.

Moonlit barely managed to dodge, activating Rulebreaker just enough to boost his reaction time and sidestep her attack. He countered with a thrust from his spear, but she parried it effortlessly and pressed forward again.

It quickly became clear that she was more skilled than he was—not just in technique but also in her understanding of her own abilities. Every move she made seemed calculated to exploit his weaknesses.

But Moonlit wasn't about to give up so easily.

He activated Rulebreaker again, this time bending inertia mid-strike so that his spear changed direction unexpectedly mid-thrust. The move caught her off guard, forcing her to retreat—but only for a moment.

"You're clever," she said with a grin as they circled each other warily. "But cleverness only gets you so far."

She lunged again—and this time landed a solid blow against his shoulder that sent him sprawling onto the ground.

"Enough," the instructor barked before she could press her advantage further.

Moonlit lay there for a moment before sitting up slowly, wincing at the pain radiating from his shoulder. He'd lost—but he'd learned something valuable: raw power wasn't enough if you didn't know how to use it effectively.

As he stood up and dusted himself off yet again (a habit he was starting to resent), something caught his attention—a flicker in the corner of his vision.

A shadow moved unnaturally across the edge of the training grounds, lingering just out of sight but unmistakably there. Moonlit froze for a moment before realization dawned on him: Sunny's shadow was watching them.

A chill ran down his spine as he remembered this exact moment from Shadow Slave. Sunny had been observing Nephis's group during their training session while honing his own skills in secret.

"So it's starting," Moonlit muttered under his breath, suppressing a grin despite himself. "The threads are weaving together."

His heart raced with excitement and unease as he turned back toward Nephis and their group. The story was unfolding just as he remembered—but this time, he wasn't just reading it. He was living it.

And if Sunny thought he could stay hidden forever? Well… Moonlit had plans of his own.